Heathrow has rejected pleas from Stanwell Moor residents to be included in a compensation package designed for those who will experience more noise. The residents now appreciate that the negative impact will be far greater than they were previously led to believe, from effects of more noise, pollution, HGV traffic, more car parking, more taxis etc. A campaign has been launched to ask for better compensation, with those involved labelling Heathrow’s current offer as “derisory compensation and precious little else”. Heathrow has not included the area in its Wider Property Offer Zone (WPOZ) which would make them eligible for compensation. On 7th July there was a protest march, and public meetings have been held. Stanwell Moor Residents’ Association (SMRA) said villagers feel they have been “kept in the dark” about the plans; in their talks with Heathrow till now, they had been led to believe they would receive a “world-class compensation package befitting the impact”. The residents “call upon the future Prime Minister (whoever that may be) and the new Secretary of State for Transport, to uphold and safeguard the interests of Stanwell Moor residents.”

The Heathrow Airport masterplan is out for public consultation and some villagers say they’re shocked at the impact it would have on them

By Rebecca Curley (Local Democracy Reporter – Get Surrey)
10 JUL 2019

(Image: Andrew McLuskey)

Heathrow has rejected pleas from Stanwell Moor residents to be included in a compensation package designed for those who’ll experience more noise. Stanwell Moor is just to the south west of Heathrow’s boundary.

Residents in Stanwell Moor are demanding better compensation from Heathrow Airport if the airport is expanded, saying the impact will be far greater than they were previously led to believe.

Accusing airport bosses of “false news and broken promises” Stanwell Moor villagers say the airport’s masterplan – out for public consultation until September 13 – has revealed a greater extent of disruption than they expected.

A campaign has been launched to ask for better compensation, with those involved labelling Heathrow’s current offer as being “derisory compensation and precious little else”.

Heathrow bosses have rejected their plea to be included in the Wider Property Offer Zone (WPOZ) which would make them eligible for compensation, saying that pot of money is meant for those who experience levels of new noise due to the expansion.

A protest march was held in the village on Sunday (July 7) and public meetings have been held.

Jim McIlroy, chairman of Stanwell Moor Residents’ Association (SMRA), said villagers feel they have been “kept in the dark” about the plans.

The Heathrow masterplan details how a third runway will operate including night flights, assessments on the impacts of expansion on the environment and local communities and measures such as reducing congestion and emissions.

Cllr McIlory, now a Conservative councillor with Spelthorne Borough Council but acting in the campaign on behalf as SMRA, said in all the talks leading up to the masterplan’s release, they were led to believe they “would have a world-class compensation package befitting the impact”.

He said: “We are only a small community, but we stand in solidarity with the communities from all around Heathrow’s perimeter that will be adversely impacted by this £30 billion-plus expansion.

“We call upon the future Prime Minister (whoever that may be) and the new Secretary of State for Transport, to uphold and safeguard the interests of Stanwell Moor residents.

He claimed the value of homes in the village has dropped by about £60,000 and the reality of the expansion plans are increased aircraft noise, more taxis using the village as a taxi rank waiting to pick up customers from the terminals, more HGVs using the rural roads as a rat run, more pollution and Europe’s biggest car park just 100m from their homes.

He added: “Despite Heathrow Airport’s claim that they have engaged with local communities and that their plans align with the local aspirations, the truth is that we find ourselves at the epicentre of an airport dumping ground for a host of unsavoury pollution generating activities, allegedly critical to the airport’s expansion.”

Heathrow says on its website the changes affecting Stanwell Moor include moving the M25 and A3044, providing a lorry park to reduce the number of HGVs parking in local roads and moving some public open spaces to form the Green Loop around the airport.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Stanwell Moor residents were promised that we would seriously consider extending the Wider Property Offer Zone (WPOZ) to their community.

“We have done this and after careful consideration, we will not be extending of the boundary of our WPOZ. The scheme was designed for areas that will experience significant levels of new noise with expansion, an issue that is expected to improve over time in Stanwell Moor with expansion.

“We appreciate this decision is disappointing for some but we have a significant package of other measures that will ensure residents can benefit from their proximity to Heathrow.

“We will continue to work with Stanwell Moor Residents’ Association and Spelthorne council to secure appropriate mitigation, better transport links and community improvements as we move through the planning process.”

Surrey county councillor Robert Evans, who represents Stanwell and Stanwell Moor, said: “It’s unacceptable for Heathrow to say Stanwell and Stanwell Moor do not qualify for compensation from Heathrow. It just doesn’t make sense.”

The Labour group in Spelthorne is calling on Spelthorne Borough Council and Surrey County Council to oppose the expansion because of the impact it is going to have on residents.

People in Stanwell very concerned about impact on their area of car parks, offices etc from Heathrow expansion

February 16, 2018

People in Stanwell and Stanwell Moor, just to the south west of the airport, are very concerned about the expansion plans for a 3rd runway. The plans have been described as a “travesty” for the area. Former Green Party parliamentary candidate in Spelthorne, Paul Jacobs, said the proposal for multi-storey car parking, offices, hotels or the relocated Immigration Removal Centre could break the “noise barrier” between Stanwell and the airport. Speaking at the Heathrow consultation event in Stanwell on February 13th he said: “There’s a large swathe of land to the north which is amenity land; people walk their dogs there. It would be a travesty if it were taken over by hotels, warehousing and servicing units. This land creates a barrier between us and the airport and it protects us from aircraft noise, particularly from aircraft noise on the ground.” People held a small protest outside the consultation event. Opponents of the current Heathrow consultation have been highly critical of it, saying it is premature, and aims to give the impression that the runway is already agreed. It is far from that.